Skiboat



A. E. MOORE Aug. 29, 1967 SKIBOAT 4 Sheets-Sheet l mAJ C Filed March INVENTOR:

ALVIN EDWARD MOORE BY Aevv'vv M ATTORNEY.

Aug. 29, 1967 A. E. MOORE 3,338,203

SKIBOAT Filed March 5f 1966 4 SheetS-Sheeh 2 INVENTOR' ALVIN EDWARD Moons.

ATTORNEY.

Aug 29, 1967 A. E. MOORE 3,333,293 l sKIBoAT Filed March E, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIGURE JO.

INVENTCR.' ALVIN EDWARD MOORE.

QW@ mw www,

ATTOR N EY.

Aug. 29, 1967 A. E. MOORE SKIBOAT Filed March S, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR- ALWN EDWARD Moons.

,40am- AM Mm',

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent C 3,338,203 SKIBOAT Alvin Edward Moore, 916 Beach Blvd., Waveland, Miss. 39576 Filed Mar. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 531,566 19 Claims. (Cl. 114-66.5)

This invention pertains to a flexible, light-weight vehicle that is especially adapted for traveling on the surface of water and at low altitudes in the air and has little danger from capsizing or wreckage.

There is a present marked tendency of man to get away from crowded highways and return to much use of marine craft, and particularly to boats on streams, lakes and coastal waters. But three ancient dangers of marine travel remain-breakage from collision, wrecks on rocks and shoals, and sinking from capsizing; and these risks have been intensified by the great increase in users of boats, including some amateurs who are reckless. Also in the use of aerial and land vehicles these dangers of collision, hurtling against surface obstructions and capsizing are becoming intensified. The invention of craft that largely can avoid these disasters is thus urgently necessary.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a vehicle that has a exible :but strong framework and skin, capable of resisting minor shocks, but yielding under major shock and then returning to its former shape and strength.

Another object is to present a vehicle having a resilient outer structure, and within this structure a load-containing space and a plurality of lighter-than-air units that are capable, without distortion, of movement relative to said structure and to each other, when the structure bends under la major shock.

Another objective is to devise a vehicle which has a flexible and strong skin and framework, and which houses a plurality of lighter-than-air units that may move without distortion relative to each other and to the cabin.

A further object is to provide a vehicle cabin having a resilient outer structure, and within it a plurality of ballons exerting a lifting pressure on the upper part of the structure and a plurality of storage containers in the lower part of the structure, each of said balloons and containers being capable, without distortion, to move away from a point of major shock to said structure.

Another purpose is to provide a boat, adapted for use on water or in the air, comprising spaced exible oats, and resilient structure bridging between the floats having a lower surface that slants downward from a forward to an after portion of the rcraft and in forward motion on the water provides a wedge of pressurized air or water between it and lthe oats, tending to lift the bridging structure out of the water.

Another objective is to provide resilient vehicle floats with lower surfaces shaped to lift the oats in the water or air.

Another object is to present a compactly and strongly integrated vehicle comprising aerostatic means to exert a lifting force on the vehicle at a center `of lift that is above the crafts center of gravity, a cabin, and air-propulsion means located above the lower deck of the cabin.

A further purpose is to devise a craft that is very light in weight, but a little heavier than air, capable of rising in the water with increased speed, thus reducing its hydraulic drag and making a relatively high speed on the water, capable, with appropriate adjustment of an elevator and/ or with still further increased speed, of taking off from the water, and capable .of landing from the air with a short run in the water.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed 3,338,203. Patented Aug. 29, 1967 description of several forms of the invention and from the accompanying drawings. For clarity of illustration, the showing in these drawings of certain inflated tubes is hatched to indicate synthetic rubber or other plastic; but in practice the plastic of these tubes preferably is reinforced with fibrous or metallic fabric or mesh. Also for aid in illustration in some of the cross-sectional views the thickness of the vehicles skin and the diameters of its inated tubes have been considerably magnified above the actual sizes of the skin and tubes.

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view, partly broken away, of one form `of the invented vehicle, taken from a vertical, median plane through the longitudinal axis of the craft.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional, detail view from the plane 2 2 of FIGURE 1, with the outer skin, the annular, inner lining of the inflated cabin-tubes, the containers of lighter-thanair gas and the cabins ceiling or overhang being shown as enlarged.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional, detail view from plane 2 2, showing an alternative type of aerostatic means.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional, detail view from plane 2 2, showing another type of lighter-than-a-ir unit.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional, detail view from plane 5 5 0f FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a rear elevational view of the craft, with part of the rudder shown as broken away and with most of the right half of the view being`in section from the plane 6 6 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of a second form of the invented vehicle, taken from a transverse, vertical plane similar to plane 6 6 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 is a detail, plan View, partly broken away, of one type of deck surface material.

FIGURE 9 is a detail, plan view, partly broken away, of an alternative arrangement of the eXibly-jointed tiles of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a front elevational view of `a third form of the invention, with a major portion of the vehicle being shown in vertical section from a plane that is normal to the crafts longitudinal axis and is just forward of the propellers.

FIGURE 11 is a sectional, elevational view of a fourth form of the invented craft, taken from a vertical, transverse plane just abaft the propulsion unit.

FIGURE l2 is an elevational, sectional, detail view from a plane similar to Ithe sectional plane of FIGURE 11, Vand on a scale reduced from that of FIGURE 11, showing an alternative type of upper construction of the vehicle of FIGURE 11. A

FIGURE 13 is a sectional, elevational view of a fifth form of the invented craft, taken from a vertical, trans verse plane just abaft the propellers.

FIGURE 14 is a sectional view, partly broken away, taken from a plane comparable to that indicated by lines 14-14 of FIGURE 13, showing the float-'bridging tubes and lthe outer structure of the oats of FIGURE 13, but illustrating an alternative type of inner construction of the floats.

FIGURE 15 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and on a reduced scale, lof the craft of FIGURE 1'3.

'Ihe vehicle of FIGURES 1 to 6 is generally shaped like a very large llying wing. It comprises two spaced, strongly resilient, buoyancy-providing, load-carvrying side elements 1, of relatively high elevation, that are securely joined at their middle parts by a bridging, resilient, buoyancy-providing, load-carrying central element 2, and are further and securely joined, above element 2, by another bridging and bracing, resilient, light-weight member 3, which supports air-propulsion means.

The craft has an overall `skin which is strong, flexible, and preferably resilient to a degree of strength determined by engineering calculations and :the chosen nature of any other resilient frame structure that is within the skin. This skin 4, optionally may comprise a strong, flexible plastic sheet 4, or, as shown in FIGURE 2, a metallic or fibrous mesh (or other fabric) 5, that is impregnated with exible rubber lr other plastic, or (preferably) with a composition comprising resilient rubber or other plastic mixed with plastic-reinforcing fibers of asbestos, metal, fiberglass, wood or cane, or with sawdust or sand.

Sanding the outer surface of at least part of the skin after it is in place on the craft is of value for reducing turbulence. This comprises sanding the exible-glue joints between the cut sheets if they have been previously factory-made, or sanding the whole skin if the uncoated mesh -or other fabric is first applied around the framework and then the plastic composition is troweled ou the fabric.

When a resilient mesh or other fabric (or equivalent crossed, but not integrally-joined, set -of resilient wires) is used it -may be of spring metal (for example, spring steel or resilient Phosphor-bronze) or springy plastic (preferably of the thermosetting type). Such resilient material, imbedded in the plastic composition then serves two functions: (1) strengthening and stiffening the plastic composition of the skin, in the same general manner of fibrous-fabric reinforcement; and (2) adding to the resiliency of the skin plastic the additional resiliency of spring-steel, resilient Phosphor-bronze or spring-plastic wire or filaments. In this event-and especially if the reinforcing resilient material is in the form of wires, rods or' narrow bands of suiicient diameter or rectangular dimensions to insure the necessary strengththe additional resilient outer framework of inflated tubes, shown in FIGURES 1 to 6, may be eliminated. Preferably, however, as a double protection against collapse from blows, the resilient framework comprises both the skin reinforcement of spring metal or the like and inside the skin the inflated tubes 6.

This tubular framework may comprise numerous, long, juxtoposed, fore-and-aft extending tubes, each of which is bent around the semiannular nose or bow of the craft and brought aft (above, below and to the side of the interior structure) to the streamlined tail, where its two ends are cut on a slant and bonded together. But, as illustrated in FIGURE 6, the bridging element Z has a tubular framework comprising a long, small-diameter, inated tube, 6A, that has been helically wound on a removable mandrel from one of the side members 1 to the other, with its juxtaposed convolutions flexibly glued together or, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, this framework optionally comprises a plurality of transversely-juxtaposed, inated, annular tubes 6B, with their sidewalls iiexibly glued together. If these tubes are large in diameter they 'may contain, floating within their compressed gas, a plurality of small receptacles that her-metically contain a lighter-than-air gas. But preferably they, as well as the other framework tubes, have a -very small diameter (for example of one-fourth to one-half of an inch) This small side enables the tubes to bend a great deal without undue distortion, and without possible rupture of the tubes material.

This material may be: exible plastic (resilient or nonresilient); rubber or other exible plastic that is reinforced with metallic or non-metallic mesh or other fabric; very thin metal (for example, copper of a thickness of .0012 to .006", soft iron, aluminum, aluminum alloy, resilient Phosphor-bronze or spring steel). If spring steel is used the tubegzs preferably inated, and is helically wound on the rlandrel while in an lannealed state, and then it is tempered. The choice of material used in these tubes depends .on the material used in the skin, and on engineering calculations, cost, and the environment of the intended crafts use. If the skin contains a tough, resilient reinforcing framework the material of the tubes may be either resilient or flexible without; but if the skin is non-resilient a resilient material is proferably used for the tubular framework. The tubes may be inated with air or any other available gas. If their material is metal or high-density plastic that is substantially impermeable to ygas they may be hermetically and permanently sealed, and the gas then is preferably helium, hydrogen or other lighter-than-air gas, but if their material is permeable to gas they are recurrently inflated thru valves in the tubes, preferably with air or some other economically-obtained, non-explosive gas.

Tubes 6A (or 6B) may be extended from one outer side -of the craft to the other, but as shown they terminate at points that are inside and adjacent to the ends of the vertical, inner-sidewall tubes, 6C. Straight tubes 6C are arcuately cut to t tubes 6A and are bonded to 6A and horizontal tubes 6D. Tubes 6D are alsor bonded to the outer vertical tubes of side elements 1. All these straight tubes are cut diagonally at their ends and there bonded to imperforate pieces 7 of exible, fabric-reinforced plastic or other suitable material and in bonding each pair of the tubes the pieces 7 are vulcanied or glued together. The inflating gas thus cannot pass from one of these tubes to another, and they are not -bowed from their straight lines by such intercommunicating gas.

Optionally, and as illustrated in FIGURE 6, an arcuate pad, 8, is glued or otherwise fixed to the lower surfaces of the upper portions of helical tube 6A. Imbedded in this flexible, foam-plastic pad, are spring-plastic or springsteel wires or slender rods or bars, 9. For clarity of illustration, the upper one of these resilient elements is shown in FIGURE 6 as passing thru weight-lightening holes 10 in the pad, but in practice these holes of course are molded in or cut thru the foam plastic in places where there are no residient elements 9.

The purpose of' these elements is to securely hold together the two side members 1 and the bridging section 2 an dto stiifen the craft against undue transverse bending. These ties are securely fastened at 12 to the outer vertical tubes.

Another type of resilient pad or tie member that optionally may be used, in place of pad 8 and having the same arcuate shape, comprises a plurality o-f straight, small-diameter, inated, juxtaposed and flexibily-gluedtogether tubes, extending between and bonded to the outside vertical sidewall tubes.

Members 1 and 2 house numerous lighter-than-air units which exert a lifting force on the craft. The smallness of these units and the buffering elements 14 which lie between the units and are numerous in directions both transverse and longitudinal of the craft insure that, when major shocks are transmitted to the thin material of the units, it will not buckle, while the affected unit as a whole moves away from the point of outside shock. The desired iiexibility of the entire craft thus is not counteracted by large-diameter or unduly long balloons.

These lighter-than-air units preferably have thin walls of a high-density material that is substantially impermeable to gas. This material may be: high-density plastic; ductile metal; or resilient material (for example, springsteel, Phosphor-bronze, or high-density resilient plastic); or rigid material (for example, rigid, high-density plastic, magnesium, magnalium with a high percentage of magnesium, `or glass). Each unit or receptacle contains either lighter-than-air -gas (such as helium, hydrogen, or hydrogen mixed with a small percentage of inert gas) or a vacuum. If vacuums are utilized their containers are round-ended cylinders or spheres and are of a rigid material, which advantageously may be dense plastic or glass (and, for example, may be similar to common electric-light bulbs, but without their necks and metal elements. Currently, lighter-than-air gas is preferred over the vacuums.

One transversely-arranged set of these units, 16, extends from one side wall of the craft to the other, and

floats upward and against reinformed pad 8. Each ofV these units may be cylindrical, but preferably is in the shape of a half-cylinder, with a semi-cylindrical upper surface that conforms to the arc of pad 8, and a lower surface that lies in the horizontal plane of the lower edges of the pad. This combination of arcuate pad and semicylindrical containers constitutes a bridge across the craft which, optionally, may be placedveither: lower than the bottoms of the other lighter-than-air units 18 (possibly requiring that a passenger stoop in walking under the bridge); or its lower, plane surface may be at the same height as lifting units (not shown) that are forward and aft of the bridge.

Each of the buffers 14 is glued only to one of the lifting units, thus providing extra freedom of the units to move relative to each other. If the containers are roundended cylinders of flexible material and the lowermost units have clearances below them, allowing them and any units above them to move freely in any direction, the buffers 14 optionally may be eliminated; lbut such alternative is not currently preferred.

The lighter-than-air gas used in the lifting units -preferably is hydrogen, hydrogen mixed with a small percentage of comparatively inert gas, or helium. Hydrogen, weighing .00562 pound per cubic foot, is only about half as heavy as helium.

It can be -mixed with about ten percent of inert gas (as a safety factor) and still be very light in Weight. The heaviest one of the inert gases contemplated in this invention is carbon dioxide, a very strongly effective inhibitor of combustion and explosion. It Weighs .124 pound per cubic foot and thus is considerably heavier than air, but a very small amount of it that is mixed with hydrogen is effective in inhibiting combustion of the diffused mixture. Such a mixture which is 95 percent hydrogen and 5 percent carbon dioxide weighs only .011258 pound per cubic foot and thus has yabout the weight of helium. Even if the carbon dioxide is 8 percent of the hydrogenous mixture it still is only about a fifth of the weight of air. It thus may safely be used as a lifting agent not only in receptacles 16 and 18 but also in tubes 6.

Other comparatively inert gases that are suitable for use in the hytdrogenous mixtures of this invention are nitrogen, helium and ammonia. Nitrogen, which is economically and plentifully obtained Weighs .0782 pound per cubic foot. It chemically combines with hydrogen only when heated in the presence of a catalyst (usually finely divided iron mixed with aluminum or potassium oxide). These two gases thus may be safely diused into an. inert mixture in a closed container. An example of such a mixture comprises 92 percent of hydrogen and 8 percent of nitrogen; it weighs .0114264 pound per cubic foot, and thus has very nearly the lifting power of helium.

Ammonia, because of its lightness (Weighing only .0482 pound per cubic foot) and its plentiful, low-cost supply, is an excellent safety factor in hydrogenous lifting gas. Except in the presence of a catalyst (usually platinum) it does not support combustion. An example of a safe hydrogen-and-ammonia gas consists of 90 percent -hydrogen and 10 percent ammonia. It weighs only .009878 pound per cubic foot and thus is considerably lighter than `the sometimes hard-to-obtain helium. Even when ammonia is of this mixture it is still only slightly heavier than helium. It may be satisfactorily used in tubes 6 and lifting units 16 and 18 unless they are made of copper or copper alloy. Because ammonia vapor attacks copper or brass it should not be in contact with these materials.

If the thin walls of lighter-than-ar units 16 and 18 are of flexible material they preferably are filled with lighterthan-air gas at atmospheric, or slightly above atmospheric, pressure. But if they are of either rigid or strongly exible material (for example, resilient or rigid plastic, spring-metal, glass, or magnalium that contains a high precentage of magnesium) they may be lled with liftgas at a sub-atmospheric pressure-for example at onefourth to one-half of atmospheric pressure.

Such a low pressure inside the containers is of value in four Ways: (l) it tends to insure that if any permeabity-to-gas at all exists in the dense materials of the thin walls air moves only in to the containers (in extremely small amounts), and the valuable lifting gas does not move out of the receptacles; (2) it decreases the amount and cost of the lifting gas; (3) it increases Vthe lifting force from a given volume of the containers; and (4) if pure hydrogen is used as the lifting. gas it almost eliminates any danger of its explosion. A given volume of hydrogen may be mixed with any amount of air without danger of explosion if the pressure of the mixture is one-fifth or less than one-fifth of an atmospheric pressure. At one-half atmospheric pressure the hydrogen content of the receptacles may be reduced by permeation of air to 65 percent Without danger of explosion of the mixture even if a :flame Were in it; which of course is impossible within the sealed containers. Thus if hydrogen is sealed in these receptacles (which are free from buckling) at half-atmospheric pressure it will exert a strong lifting force on the vehicle and remain non-explosive for the life of the craft.

A vacuum in the container of course is theoretically preferable, but in practice the desired thinness of its walls may not be strong enough to withstand the difference of pressure between the vacuum and the cabin atmosphere. But such thin, light-Weight walls may be amply strong enough to withstand the difference between half-atmospheric and atmospheric pressures.

Also inside the cabin there are storage containers, 20 made of reinforced plastic or sheet metal or of helicallywound small-diameter, inflated tubes. These receptacles additionally serve as supports for deck 22, which may be flexible or solid or foam plastic, or tiles of semi-rigid plastic or Wood as shown in FIGURE 8 or FIGURE 9. These tiles are flexibly connected together by rubber or other exible cement, 23.

Deck 22 is preferably horizontal both across and lengthwise of the craft. To secure its horizontal surface as Well as provide for the desired fluid-wedging plane or camber of the bottom of the craft, the heights of the chambers 20 vary from the bow to the stern.

Each of these storage containers has either a small, sealable opening 24 (thru which liquids or finely divided solids may be moved) or a large opening, provided with a hinged, temporarily-sealable hatch, 26 (via which bulky objects may be stored). Between each pair of the chambers a flexible foam-plastic buffer 28 is placed; it is preferably glued or otherwise attached only to one of the pair; but alternatively the foam-plastic may be shredded and poured between containers. These pairs are suiciently numerous, both athwart and lengthwise of the craft, to insure that when its bottom is subjected to a major shock (such as would damage the container walls if they were not divided and free to move relative to each other) the buffers 28 yield, and the containers are saved from breakage or damaging distortion.

Sealed to cut-out portions of the tubes at the bow are three transparent-plastic or glass windows, 29; and if desired such windows may be placed in the outer side walls.

The propulsion unit may be of a jet-propulsion type, but as shown it comprises a mechanical propeller, a propeller, a propeller-driving motor 30, and means for energizing the motor and controlling it from within the cabin. Element 32 optionally may be afuel line (when 30 is an internal combustion engine), an electrical conduit (when 30 s an electric motor), or, and preferably, a exible hydraulic line thru Which hydraulic power fluid is supplied to hydraulic motor 30 from a source of energy 34, which in this instance comprises an engine and a pump.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a second form of the invention, in which the resilient framework Within the crafts skin comprises a multiplicity of separately-iniiated, smalldiameter tubes that are integrally joined by imperforate disks 36. These tubes and disks are optionally made of any of the above-named flexible materials.

The upper portion of this tubular framework comprises two straight tubes 38, each of which is flexibly bonded, with interposition of disk 36, at one end to an arcuate tube 40, and at the other end to another arcuate tube, 42. Each of these arcuate tubes is likewise imperforately bonded, at one of its ends, to tube 44.

This inflated tube 44 also would be wholly arcuate except for the fact that its upper portions are forcibly held in straight lines. At the upper end of its semi-circular part 44 it is fiexibly and imperforately bonded to one of the horizontal inflated tubes (thin-walled, hollow metal tubes) of decreasing diameter from fore to aft) that are inside a streamlined skin and form the strengthproviding framework of the strut 46. This element and the similar vertical strut 48 securely support the propulsion motor S0. They also hold the center and the ends of arcuate portion 44 of unitarily-inflated tube 44 in a xed position, holding this inflated portion in the arc of a circle, substantially centered at the axis of the motor. Since each of the straight parts 44" of tube 44, is fixed at one of its ends to strut 46 and at the other of its ends to one of the separately-inflated arcuate tubes 40, it is thus held in a substantially vertical and straight line.

The lower -part of the tubular framework comprises tubes 52, each of which is irnperforately bonded, with interposition of a disk 36, to the lower end of an outer arcuate tube 42. Tube 52 optionally may comprise curved and straight portions (similar to tubes 38, 40 and 42) that are bonded and separately inflated. But as illustrated it is one long tube, with sidewall portions and ybottoni part 52 held in substantially straight lines and float portions 52" held in semi-circular arcs. These tube portions are thus held in position by horizontal tie elements 54 and the glue and optional ties by which the lower portions are fastened to storage tanks 56. The tanks are similar to but differently shaped from storage containers 20 of FIGURE 6.V Optionally, the straight'side portions of tube 52 also may be tied together by tie wires, ropes or 'rods 58 and 58', between these portions and motor 50. Tie 58' is shown as fastened only to tube 44 and the motor; but obviously (by slightly rearranging cylindrical or spherical lighter-than-air units 60) it may extend all the way between the motor and the left-hand sidewall of the craft.

On the right side of FIGURE 7 multiple lifting units are indicated at 62, 64 and 66. Each is shaped to conform to a section of the tubular framework and preferably exerts its lifting force against the framework via an upper layer of flexible foam rubber or other foam plastic. Optionally, the lifting units may be short cylinders or spheres, as indicated at the left side of FIGURE 7.

Shock-absorbing and insulating, flexible, foam-plastic preferably lines all the cabin space that is above the storage tanks. For lessening the weight of any part of it holes 67 may be provided.

Optionally, the deck 68 may comprise tiles of the type shown in FIGURE 8 or FIGURE 9. These tiles may be either in lieu of or on top of the deck portion of the foam plastic shown in FIGURE 7.

Pads or pieces of foam plastic serve as side buffers between each pair of the lifting units; and a long pad of this material, 70, serves to iexibly transmit the lifting force of lower units 64 to upper units 62 and the upper tubular framework. If ties 58 are utilized these are imbedded in (or extend thru holes or recesses in) pad 70.

A third form of the invention is shown in FIGURE 10. Unlike FIGURES 6, 7 and 13, this is a front view and thuS shows the bottom camber or inclined plane 72 in elevation. This element wedges the uid (air and/or water) which moves beneath 72 and between the inner side surfaces of the floats. Although it may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the craft, it preferably is inclined to that axis in each of the disclosed species of this invention.

In FIGURE 10 the resilient framework of the crafts skin may be inated tubes, but it is shown as comprising plastic 74. Although this plastic may be strongly resilient enough to function satisfactorily without reinforcement, especially in areas where there is little turbulence of water and air, preferably it is inherently resilient and also has imbedded in it (or else glued to its inner surface) a strong spring-metal wire mesh.

The craft of FIGURE 10 is also different from the vehicles of FIGURES 6 and 7 in that its whole middle portion is bridged over by a portion of the resilient framework that, in every thwartship cross section, has an upper line that is parallel with the transverse axis of the craft. Thus the upper surface of the vehicle is uniformly streamlined from the bow to the stern, and its upper portion houses a larger total volume of the lighter-than-air units than exists for the same height and beam in the craft of FIGURES 6 and 7. This fact makes the vehicle of FIGURE l0 more compact and of a greater degree of stability due to the high centering of its aerostatic lift, well above the center of gravity. But it makes necessary the provision of tunnels, 76, thru which the air of the propellers slipstreams passes to the stern. This propelled air leaves the horizontal-axis tunnels at points considerably above and forward of the streamlined tail of the vehicle.

Tunnels 76 may be cylindrical throughout as showng'or optionally they may be made in venturi form, with the smallest diameter of the venturi tubes located at the propeller disks. Although only one inflated, resilient-tube motor-supporting strut is shown in each tunnel, another, similar to 48 may be provided. The two propeller tubes 78, which may be of resilient plastic or spring-metal, and the adjacent portions 74 of skin 74 are fastened together by tie rods or cables, 80, which may comprise turnbuckles 82, for adjustment of the tension of the ties.

In FIGURE 10 the upper lighter-than-air units are rectangular (preferably cube-shaped); and the lifting units in the floats also may be cubical and similar to elements -20 of FIGURE 6. But as shown the light-weight core of the sectioned left-hand float has a plurality of short, roundended cylinders or hollow globes, 84, which preferably are filled with explosion-free, lighter-than-air gas. Foam rubber or other flexible foam plastic surrounds these units. This porous flexible material, like that which surrounds lighter-than-air units 86 and like the other foam plastics in this invention, preferably are of the closed-cell type, and the sealed cells preferably contain lighter-than-air helium -or nitrogen, which hasl been used -as the foamblowing agent.

The float core preferably is separately molded, and-the skin 74 is then permanently placed over and glued to it. Then upper lifting elements 88 are placed over this core while the portion 74 of the skin is bent or hinged upward to provide access to the float core from the cabin. If desired a long, rectangular, partially-cut-out part may be provided in 74', so that this part may be bent or hinged to facilitate exchange or reinflation of units 88.

A fourth species of the invention is shown in FIGURES 11 and 12. Its cabin, streamlined in its top surface, is rectangular in transverse cross section and has a framework of straight, resilient, separtaely-inated, vertical tubes 90 and horizontal tubes 92. 'Ihe sets of four tubes each are aligned along the crafts longitudinal axis and glued to gether in a flexible skin.

In the upper part of the inside space of the cabin float many rectangular, preferably cubical, lighter-than-air units 94; and in the lower part there are multiple storage chambers, 96, which support the deck. All these containers are assembled for free movement. They are flexibly connected both across and longitudinally of the craft, for example by foam rubber or other flexible plastic.

To the top surface of the cabin there are glued two long aerostatic, balloon-like elements, each of which comprises a plurality of lighter-than-air units or short balloons, 98, which are aligned and spaced apart along a longitudinal taxis that is parallel to the fore-and-aft upper surface of the cabin. These units may be made in the manner of any of the similar lifting units in FIGURES 1 to 7, and, together with lighter-than-air units 99, are imbedded in foam plastic (preferably containing helium in its cells).

A pair of similar elongated elements is glued to the bottom of the cabin, but these are of smaller diameter, and because they are parts of the catamaran floats their lightweight units 100, made of thin, resilient metal or the like, preferably contain lighter-than-air gas that is inflated to a pressure considerably above that of the atmospherefor example, at twenty to thirty pounds per square inch. These units 100 are multiplied and spaced apart in a foreand-aft direction, and, with smaller units 102, are surrounded by flexible foam plastic, mold-shaped within a flexible, waterproof skin.

After the elongated upper and lower core elements (streamlined at the bow and stern) are glued in place the resilient-framework tube or tubes, 104, are glued to the outer surfaces of the cabin and core elements. Although a plurality of inated endless tubes may be aligned along the crafts axis, preferably a single long tubular element, comprising end-joined, separately-inated tubes, is helically wound to form the outer framework. After the motor nacelle and its supporting struts are fastened to this framework the whole is smoothly covered with a flexible waterproof skin.

FIGURE l2 shows a simpler, more easily constructed form of the upper portion of this craft. In it the laterally outer surfaces of the upper core elements are vertically aligned with the sidewalls of the cabin skin.

The fifth disclosed species of the invention is shown in FIGURES 13 to 15. In this form, the upper part of the crafts resilient framework comprises inflated, resilient, semi-circular tubes, 106, that are aligned, Vand flexibly glued together along the crafts axis; and the lower part is mainly composed of vertically arranged, straight, inflated tubes, 108.

These lower tubes optionally may be made of any of the above-described tube material; but as shown all except the motor-supporting tubes, |110, are of thin flexible metal, sheathed in very flexible, resilient foam rubber or other plastic. Optionally some of the lower tubes 108 may have thicker walls and be used for the storage of liquids (for example, fuel and water) When all the vertical tubes comprise plastic those that do not support the motor may be extrusions of elastic plastic (for example, rubber), without fabric reinforcement. In this event, each 4of the floats (whose outer shape is shown in FIGURE 14) comprises an outer envelope of plastic-impregnated wire or fibrous mesh (or other fabric). This is glued to the sides and bottoms of all the vertical tubes and to the tops of all these tubes except those that support one of the motors. The motor tubes, 110, numbering relatively few of the vertical tubes, as indicated in FIGURE 14, are taller than the others, and project upward thru holes cut in the waterproof fabric.

This gluing of the fabric to the elastic tubes (preferably with epoxy-resin cement), is effected whilethe tubes are only slightly inated; and after the glue sets they are further inflated thru their valves until their sidewalls expand into full contact with each other, so that they are no longer circular but are closely nested, shutting out all of the air that was between their previously cylindrical outer surfaces. Thereafter the ination is continued until the desired gaseous pressure (substantially above that of the atmosphere) is obtained.

The tops of these floats, excepting their streamlined bow and stern parts, are glued (and preferably also tied) to bottom surfaces of the aligned and glued-together deck tubes, 112.

Tubes 112 optionally may be of thin, foam-rubbersheathed, exible metal or of reinforced plastic. 'I'hey 10 may be permanently inflated with lighter-than-aifr gas or used as storage chambers (with filling tubes that extend to the upper surface of the cabin deck). If they are used as storage receptacles their flexible material is strongly resilient.

The ends of motor-supporting tubes 110, which may be bonded to and closed by concaved disks of the type shown at 114, are shaped to t and are glued to cylindrical motor tubes 110.

On each side of the midships portion of the craft these motor tubes (preferably of reinforced plastic, and sheathed in a streamlined, flexible, plastic-impregnated fabric) are glued and tied at their upper ends to an arcuate, elongated, motor-supporting plate, 116. It may be of reinforced plastic or of metal, and is fixed to a propeller-driving motor` The plate also is fastened to disklike element, 114, and thus, via their attached horizontal inflated tubes to cabin tubes, 106.

The floats are further and strongly fastened together by inated bracing tubes 118, bonded and tied to the inner upright float surfaces. These bracing tubes, preferably of foam-rubber-sheathed, thin flexible metal, are glued and tied together and are covered by a smooth, strong, ilexible skin, thus forming a exible, bracing arch that is below and opposite the entire extent of the deck and cabin tubes along the vehicles longitudinal axis.

The space between this arch and the deck tubes is filled with foam plastic. In this, on each side of the craft, there are imbedded a plurality of short, round-ended, plastic or metal storage cylinders, 120, which have iilling tubes that extend up to the cabins deck surface. Preferably there a-re also imbedded in the foam plastic a plurality of lighter-than-air units.

The lower surface of each oat is preferably shaped to provide a wedging and lifting reaction on it from the water or air thru which the craft advances. One form of this surface is shown in FIGURE `15 at 122. It has the .general shape of the lower camber of some airplane wings. Another, `optional form is a plane surface that makes an acute angle with the direction of travel. And another, not preferred, is a normally horizontal plane, with reliance on rear elevators of the airplane type for providing an angle of attack of the surface which achieves the desired reaction and lifting force.

As illustrated, the bottom surface of the arch formed by tubes 118 and their skin is at the same distance below the normally horizontal deck tubes 112 throughout their length. B-ut optionally the bracing tubes may successively be placed at lower elevations fromthe forward to the after portions of the arch, so that its skin also obtains a wedging and lifting reaction from the liuid that contacts and moves past it.

The cabin tubes 106 and their top skin have the same horizontal span throughout their extent from the transparent window or windshield, 124, at the bow to a similar but lower window in the cabins vertical, after portion, 126. If desired, the upper edge of each of these windows may be arcuate, conforming to the arch of the tube 106 that is above it. The lengths and arcs of curvature of the tubes 106 vary from the bow to the stern, with their top skin thus providing a streamlined shape for the top of the cabin, indicated in FIGURE 15 at 128.

Inside the upper part of the cabin lighter-than-air units, which may be of various sizes, exert a lifting force on the resilient framework. These -units may have small foam-rubber lbuffers between them of the type shown in any of the other forms of the invention; but as illustrated in FIGURE 13 they are round-ended, hermetically-sealed cylinders that are imbedded in foam plastic, which preferably contains helium or nitrogen in its cells. All of the major axes of these short cylinders may extend in lines parallel to the crafts longitudinal axis, or optionally, and 'as shown, they may be staggered.

When the deck tubes 112 are inflated and not used as storage chambers, storage receptacles 0f the type shown 1 l in FIGURES 6, 7 and 10, are xed to the bottom of the deck tubes and form or support the deck surface.

Seats or couches that are fastened to the deck inside the cabin may comprise lighter-than-air lifting units that are imbedded in foam rubber or other plastic that is sheathed with fabric. These lifting units, 128, optionally may be directly in contact with the foam plastic, or they may float inside resilient outer envelopes 130.

An optional type of inner structure of the oats is shown in FIGURE 14. Within the outer resilient, tubular oat framework that is illustrated also in FIGURE 13, the alternative inner float structure comprises large, longitudinally-spaced storage chambers 132, which have filling tubes that extend thru holes in the hermetically-sealed tubes 112 to the cabin deck surface. These containers may be made of plastic or metal. They are surrounded by foam plastic, in which lighter-than-air units 134 optionally may be imbedded.

In the form of the invention ,shown in FIGURES 13 to 15, there are two small outer decks, 136-one above the semi-cylindrical nose of each oat--and two other small decks, 138, above the streamlined stems of the oats. These decks may support persons outside the cabin-for example in mooring or anchoring the craft, or in recreation.

Within the scope of the following claims, various changes may be made in the specific disclosed structure.

In the claims the word plastic is used to signify any type of natural or synthetic rubber or other plastic; the word gas to signify any pure gas or gaseous mixture; the word fabric to mean any kind of woven material or of mesh, comprising fibers or metallic wire or filaments; the word tube or expression tubular elements to mean a hollow article, elongated and having ends, or curved and endless, circular or non-circular in cross section, and open or sealed; and the word boat to refer to a craft that traverses water and/ or ies in the air.

I claim:

1. A vehicle comprising:

an upper structure, constructed and arranged to provide at least part of a load-confining space, comprising a exible skin and within the skin a resiliently flexible, vehicle-strength-providing, framework; and

a lower, resiliently exible structure, fixed to said upper structure, having at least one flexible, lift-producing surface that is exposed to the fluid which relatively moves beneath the vehicle when it is underway and that is shaped and arranged to provide an acute, lifting angle of fluid attack between said relatively moving uid and at least a portion of said bottom surface;

said lower structure comprising: -a middle portion having a bottom surface; `and two side portions, joined to said middle portion, each of which has a bottom surface; each of said middle and side portions having a exible skin and within the skin a framework of skin-bracing, strength-providing, resiliently flexible elements.

2. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which the said bottom surfaces of said side portions are lower than the bottom surface of said middle portion.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said vehicle is Va boat.

4. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which the majority of said resiliently flexible elements are tubes that are juxtaposed within said skins.

5. A vehicle as set forth in claim 4, in which said tubes have sealed hollow spaces and compressed gas within said spaces.

6. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said skins are of a material comprising plastic and fabric.

12 7. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which said fabric comprises metallic mesh.

8. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said bottom surface of the said middle portion is a lift-producing surface, providing an angle of attack between it and relatively moving uid in contact with it.

9. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said bottom surfaces of the two side portions are lift-Producing surfaces, providing angles of attack between them and relatively moving uid in contact with them.

10. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said bottom surfaces of said middle and side portions are lift- Vproducing surfaces, providing angles of lattack between them and relatively moving fluid in contact with them.

11. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said upper structure has at least one exible, lift-producing upper surface that is exposed to the uid that relatively moves above said upper structure when the vehicle is moving forward and is shaped and arranged to provide a lifting vacuum above said upper surface during said motion.

12. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, in which the majority of said resiliently iiexible elements are tubes.

13. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, in which said flexible skins are the surface portions of a material comprising liexible plastic.

14. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which said frameworks comprise resilient elements that are of springy material, have a maximum cross-sectional dimension of a fraction of an inch, and are coated with said material comprising plastic.

15. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which said frameworks comprise resilient elements that are tubular and adapted to be inflated with compressed gas.

16. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said upper structure has two lateral parts that are above and joined to said lower side portions and has a middle part that is joined to said lower middle portion and is lower than said lateral parts.

17. A vehicle as set forth in claim 16, in whichsaid parts have upper surfaces that are contoured downward in a direction that is opposite to -that of the vehicles forward motion.

18. A vehicle as set forth in claim 16, in which said upper structure further comprises a bridge that is fixed to each of said lateral parts and extends 'across a space above said lower middle part, and a propulsion device that is fixed to and supported by said bridge.

19. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said upper structure further comprises lighter-than-air units, loosely positioned within a part of the vehicle and exerting a lifting force that is centered above the vehicles center of gravity, said units having suicient clearances between and below them and being suiiciently small in extent, both longitudinally and transversely of the vehicle, to move, without permanent deformation of their walls, Irelatively to each other and to said outer portion when it bends under a major shock.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,857,347 5/1932 Beebe n H11-66.5 1,861,638 5/1932. Faust 114--61 2,381,583 8/ 1945v Fechtenbur-g 114-61 2,464,957 3/ 1949 Wood 114-61 FOREIGN PATENTS 446,807 3/ 1949 Italy.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

A. H. FARRELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A VEHICLE COMPRISING: AN UPPER STRUCTURE, CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO PROVIDE AT LEAST PART OF A LOAD-CONFINGING SPACE, COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE SKIN AND WITHIN THE SKIN A RESILIENTLY FLEXIBLE, VEHICLE-STRENGTH-PROVIDING, FRAMEWORK; AND A LOWER, RESILIENTLY FLEXIBLE STRUCTURE, FIXED TO SAID UPPER STRUCTURE, HAVING AT LEAST ONE FLEXIBLE, LIFT-PRODUCING SURFACE THAT IS EXPOSED TO THE FLUID WHICH RELATIVELY MOVES BENEATH THE VEHICLE WHEN IT IS UNDERWAY AND THAT IS SHAPED AND ARRANGED TO PROVIDE AN ACUTE, LIFTING ANGLE OF FLUID ATTACK BETWEEN SAID RELATIVELY MOVING FLUID AND AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID BOTTOM SURFACE; SAID LOWER STRUCTURE COMPRISING: A MIDDLE PORTION HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE; AND TWO SIDE PORTIONS, JOINED TO SAID MIDDLE PORTION, EACH OF WHICH HAS A BOTTOM SURFACE; EACH OF SAID MIDDLE AND SIDE PORTIONS HAVING A FLEXIBLE SKIN AND WITHIN THE SKIN A FRAMEWORK OF SKIN-BRACING, STRENGTH-PROVIDING, RESILIENTLY FLEXIBLE ELEMENTS. 